South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) secured critical backing from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) ahead of the May 8, 2019, general elections. The labor federation, representing 1.5 million members, reversed earlier threats to penalize the ANC over perceived marginalization of its tripartite partners in decision-making.
Cosatu's shift followed President Cyril Ramaphosa's plan to restructure state-owned power utility Eskom into three separate entities, a move that risked job losses. The federation's central executive committee confirmed its continued support for Ramaphosa, though it emphasized ongoing scrutiny of policies affecting workers.
"Our support for Cyril does not mean we are going to agree with everything he says that is disadvantaging workers," Cosatu deputy secretary-general Solly Phetoe stated. The federation had previously pledged to mobilize resources for ANC campaigns at its 2018 national congress.
Tensions between the ANC and Cosatu escalated during former president Jacob Zuma's tenure, when key decisions were made without tripartite consultation. Current ANC challenges include opposition from the Economic Freedom Fighters' Julius Malema and the Democratic Alliance's Mmusi Maimane.
Gauteng provincial secretary Dumisani Dakile criticized the ANC for resisting alliance reconfiguration, saying "it seems like the ANC has no appetite for the reconfiguration of the alliance." Cosatu maintained its stance that support for Ramaphosa did not preclude criticism of labor-unfriendly policies.
